Two iOS developers (Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo) have discovered evidence of a stereo AR feature called StarBoard (the software needed for compatible AR hardware) in the latest iOS update.
Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith on Twitter) found that the iOS 13 GM (the final version of the software sent to retail partners) comes with a readme file for how users can run Stereo AR apps on an iPhone when they don't have access to Apple's headset.
StarBoard is Apple’s system shell for stereo augmented reality apps (headset).
"It seems very much like Stereo AR apps are an app extension type you can include in your iOS app bundle, if you have the entitlements. One imagines that when Apple's headset is attached, it has a dashboard of some kind that shows you your available Stereo AR apps (like CarPlay)," says Troughton-Smith.
The tech giant has also made no
secret of its desire to make an AR headset of some kind.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly said
Apple won’t ship an AR product until it can deliver “a great experience,”